Portable conveyer and loader



Nov. 27, 1945. R. H. BLANK ETAL PORTABLE CONVEYER AND LOADER Filed Dec.18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Il WL INVENTOR. H 5L ,4A/K

FF .BLA/wf NOV-l 27, 1.945. R. H. BLANK ETAL 2,389,759

PORTABLE CONVEYER AND LOADER Filed Deo. 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENToR. f/ 5L /l/V/f Patented Nov. 27, 1945 rom-ABLE coNvEYER ANDLOADER Rudolph 1I. Blank and Frank F. Blank, Walcott, Iowa ApplicationDecember 18, 1944, Serial No. 568,699

4 Claims.

The present invention pertains to improvements upon structures of thetype shown in Patent No. 2,343,133, issued February 29, 1944, andcomprises among its objects the provision of a conveyer of the typeindicated which is more readily usable inside of buildings,lparticularly corn cribs which are provided through the middle with. adriveway; the provision of a conveyer which is set up for use by oneman; the provision of a structure of the character indicated which isinexpensive t manufacture; the provision of a structure of the typeindicated which can be elevated to make delivery at various heights andwhich can have its lower end adjusted to occupy a position near theground for convenient use; and such further objects, advantages, andcapabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in theconstruction disclosed herein. While we have disclosed herein what isnow regarded as the preferred embodiment of this invention, we desirethe same to be understood as illustrative only and not to be interpretedin a limiting sense.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Figure 1 represents this conveyer in two positions, the position of usebeing shown in solid lines and the transport position in broken lines;

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary longitudinal section of the truck ortransport section shown at the middle of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 represents a transverse section approximately along the planeindicated by the line 3-3, Fig. 2:

Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary side elevation of the structure shown inFig. 3;

Fig. 5 represents a transverse section substantially along the planeindicated by the lines 5-5, Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 5.

The truck or transporting mechanism is indicated, in gener-al, by thenumeral I, and the front and rear wheels thereof by the numerals 2 andrespectively. The .front and rear yaxles are connected by a reach Iwhich comprises a pair of interfitting tubular members 5 and 6. Betweenthese tubular members is a space I which is utilized for a purpose to bepresently disclosed. Secured to the rear end of the tube 5 is a ring 8which'slides inside of the tube 5 and guides the reach sections in theirrelative sliding movement. A ring 9, which is similar to the ring 8, issecured inside of the forward end of the tube 8 and furnishes a guidefor the tube 5 as it slides in the tube 5. This construction furnishes areach which is adjustable in length and which is very rigid whenextended.

A cable I0 is secured at its rear end to the\\inner tube 5 andpassesforwardly between the tubes and out through an opening in the outer tube6, near the forward end thereof. It then passes around a pulley II andback to a, drum I2 about which it is wound so that it will have drivingconnection therewith. The drum I2 is equipped with a worm wheel I3 whichmeshes with a. worm Il, and this is driven by bevel gears I5. A crank I6is provided for operating the gearing to cause rotation of the drum I2.From this drum I2 the cable I0 goes forwardly and is connected to thebracket Il which is attached to the forward end portion of the pipe 5. Asmall drum or pulley I8 is mounted within a frame I9 and serves, in asense, to guide the cable I0 and hold it down so that the pull thereofwill be substantially longitudinally of the reach.

A supporting frame 20 rises from the front axle and serves as a supportfor the front end portion ofthe elevator element 23 when it is inlowered position, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. Props 2I arepivotally connected to the front axle through a bolster 20a, uponopposite sides of the center of the structure, and these props are alsopivotally connected to the elevator element 23 at 22, as shown inFig. 1. From what has been said it will be understood that, when thecrank I6 is turned, the cable I0 will be wound on the drum I2 at one endthereof and unwound from the other end, and that, when this happens, thefront wheels and reach section 5 will be moved forwardly or backwardly.If the structure is in full line position, as shown in Fig. 1, and thecrank is turned to pull the tube 5 out of the tube 6, the forward wheels2 will be moved forwardly and the props 2I will move toward the positionshown by the broken lines in Fig. 1. As this happens, the elevatorelement 23 moves downwardly toward the horizontal position shown in thisfigure and eventually rests on the supporting frame 20 which moves withthe forward axle from the solid line position to the broken lineposition of this figure. When the crank IB is turned in the oppositedirection, the pipe'5 is pulled back into the pipe 6 and this causes theprops 2I to raise the elevator element 23 toward the full line positionshown in Fig. 1. A

If this machine is to be used in a com crib which has cross beamsconnecting the cribs upon opposite sides of the driveway, as is oftentrue, the machine can be run into the crib and the elevator element 23raised so that-it will so up between two o1' these beams, the machinebeing moved to get the element 23 to deliver into a bin at one side orthe other of the driveway, as desired. After the machine has been sopositioned that the upper end oi' the elevator element 2l will miss thecross beams, the crank IO is turned enough more to get the deliveryspout 24 above the top of the side of the bin so that the grain will besure to be delivered into the bin.

As shown in the patent mentioned above, the lower end of the conveyer orelevator element 23 may be provided with a hopper into which grain orother material may be shoveled or dumped. Such is very useful, if onehas a dump truck or wagon so that he can back up to the hopper and openthe end gate so as to let his load slide into the hopper and be conveyedquickly by the conveyer to the bin. f

A pair of angle irons 25 are secured to each of the channel members 23,cross-connected at their forward ends by a channel 23a, and constitutinga part of the frame of the machine. The flanges of the angle ironsfurnish guiding means for runners 2l which have a shaft 23 pivotallymounted therein. This shaft 23 furnishes a vertically ad- Justablesupport for the conveyer trough 23a. The runners 2l can be adjustedvertically by means of the cables 29 which are secured thereto and passover pulleys 30 mounted upon the tops of the angle irons 25, as shownmost clearly in Figs. and 6. These cables 29 pass downwardly aroundwinding drums 3| on a shaft 3 la provided with a crank 32 by means ofwhich the cable may be wound around the drums to raise the runners orunwound therefrom to permit lowering of the conveyer 23. This is usefulin locations where it is undesirable to raise the conveyer to the fullyelevated position shown in Fig. 1 and yet it is desirable to have therear end of the conveyer down close to the ground. A pawl and ratchet orother latching means, not shown, are provided for holding the conveyeragainst undesirable lowering when it has been raised above its lowermostposition. The worm gearing I3, I4 constitutes a self-locking means toprevent inadvertent lowering of the front end of the conveyer.

A pair of angles 33 at the two sides of the conveyer and below theconveyer trough 23a, as shown in Fig. 5, normally serve as supportingmeans for the lower run of the conveyer belt, the upper run of whichruns in the trough 23a, and then returns on the angles 33, passingaround a roller on the shaft 35 which has a sprocket or belt pulley tobe engaged by a chain 34, or its equivalent, utilized in driving theconveyer belt. At its upper end, this chain passes around a sprocketmounted on the shaft 28, which shaft carries a belt pulley 36 at itsouter end. A belt passing around this belt pulley also passes around acomparable pulley on the drive shaft of a power unit, such as the powertake-oil of a tractor. Further details of the conveyer element 23 arenot regarded as essential since they are not involved-in the annexedclaims. It will be seen from what has been described that thisstructureis very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and that it is capable ofuse in locations where prior constructions were not adapted to be used.

It will of course be understood that the specific description ofstructure set forth above may be departed from without departing fromthe spirit of this invention as set forth herein and in the appendedclaims.

Having now described our invention, we claim: i. In va structure for thepurpose indicated having front and rear wheels, axles conneotinl them inpairs, and an extensible reach connecting the axles; a frame supportedby the rear axle including uprights rising some distance thereabove, aconveyer pivotally supported by said uprights to be moved from a4horizontal to an inclined position and returned, said conveyer extendingat its lower end well beyond its pivotal connection to the uprightpropsconnected to the front axle and to a point approximately midway of thelength of said conveyer, and means for moving the front axle backwardlyand forwardly, whereby to raise and lower the conveyer.

2. A machine of the type indicated comprising front and reartransporting trucks, interengaging reach sections connected to saidtrucks, said sections being relatively slidable to permit the trucks toseparate and approach each other, elevator means having its rear endportion supported on the rear truck for vertical adjustment relativethereto, operable means connecting the rear truck and the elevator meansfor adjusting vator means having its rear end portion supported on therear truck for` vertical adjustment relative4 thereto, operating meanswhereby the trucks may be caused to separate and approach, meansconnectingl the front truck and elevator means for raising and loweringof the front end of ,the elevator means as the trucks are caused toapproach or recede one from the other, and

means for raising and lowering the rear end portion of the elevatormeans relatively to the rear truck.

4; In a structure of the type indicated having front and rear axles,supporting wheels therefor, and an elevatable conveyer; a transportingtruck provided with means for supporting and actuating said conveyer,said means and conveyer being operatively connected, said truckcomprising, in part, an extensible and retractible two-section reach,means for relatively shifting the reach sections longitudinally wherebyto lengthen and shorten the reach, the last mentioned means comprising awinding drum, a cable partially wound thereon and having one endextending forwardly to the forward end of the forward section of thereach and its other end extending forwardly to the forward end of therear section of the reach and then rearwardly within the rear section ofthe reach to the rear end portion of the front section of the reachwhere it is secured to said front section, and props pivotally connectedto the front axle and to the conveyer', whereby to cause raising andlowering of the front end of the conveyer when the reach is shortened orlengthened.

R. H. BLANK. FRANK F. BLANK.

